Landscape Sensitivity Research Articles

Based on the GIS of Urban Landscape Ecology Suitability Evaluation and Sensitivity Analysis

The aim of this study is to value the urban garden land ecological suitability to understand the city landscape ecology problems. In view of the Dong Liao of Jilin are being degraded ecological system, using the high accuracy of terrain data and environmental survey data and GIS technology support, taking vector data structure model, the evaluation factor layer stack formation evaluation unit and using the factor analysis method to determine evaluation factor weight. By applying ArcMap space analysis software of different factor given weight stack of urban landscape ecology suitability evaluation and different factor of urban landscape ecology environmental impact sensitivity analysis. Reasonable planning for urban garden land and effectively protect the city's ecological environment provide scientific basis.

Classification of Landscape Sensitivity in the Territory of Cremona

Centrality of landscape, in territorial planning, has been influencing for years, the testing of innovative analytical techniques aimed to gather peculiarities of urban and suburban context. The advent of Spatial Information System created the possibility to produce more detailed studies analyzing a lot of information dealing with territorial phenomena of crucial importance in spatial planning. The development of analytical systems based on multidimensional analysis may represent the right way to synthesize different phenomena that interact locally, in order to obtain the intrinsic sensitivity of a specific landscape as a result. In the case of Cremona Urban Variant, the production of thematic maps has allowed the construction of six synthetic indicators, dealing with specific aspects of Cremona landscape. The indicators are: i) insularisation of non – built spaces, ii) morphological / structural values, iii) perceptual landscape aspects, iv) permanence of urban system, v) degree of imperativeness of environmental constraints, vi) integrity of land use.

Assessing Landscape Sensitivity Based on Fragmentation Caused by the Artificial Barriers in Hungary

Abstract Artificial barriers significantly disturb the landscape unit. Roads split the contiguous landscape units, thus basically modi fying their ecological characters. The more artificial barriers are constructed in the landscape, the more fragmented it is. Theref ore, the contiguous landscape unit is divided into two or more patches, weakening resilience and stability of ecological systems. During decrease in patch size, the stability reduces until the patch size is at its minimum viable or effective population size. In current study analysing the degree of fragmentation caused by artificial barriers in meso-scale landscape units (meso-regions) we can get an overall picture about changes in their stability and sensitivity. The major aims of this study is to investigate the fragmentation of landscape units caused by three types of artificial barriers (roads, railways and settlements) in micro-regions, and to measure the degree of fragmentation and its spatial-temporal (1990, 2011 and future scenario to 2027) changes using mathemat ical/ statistical analysis and landscape metrics (Number of Patches, Division, Landscape Splitting Index and Effective Mesh Size). By calculating landscape fragmentation metrics, the micro-regions are identified, which must be protected with high priority in the future. In the planning processes, type and position of artificial barriers could be more properly determined by calculation of these landscape metrics.

Catchments in the future North: interdisciplinary science for sustainable management in the 21st Century

Catchments in the future North: interdisciplinary science for sustainable management in the 21^st Century

Provincial Government Standards, Criteria, and Indicators for Sustainable Harvest of Forest Biomass in British Columbia: Soil and Biodiversity

Sustainable forest management (SFM) is a cornerstone of forest management, whether the resulting forest products are destined for the manufacturing sector or for the emerging bioenergy feedstock market. In British Columbia, research on the environmental effects of forest management has generated scientific knowledge that has informed two linked areas of government responsibility:a comprehensive set of science-based regulations and policies to ensure soil and water conservation, anda monitoring program to ensure the effectiveness of these regulations and policies.An increasing amount of biomass is being harvested from British Columbia’s forests as a feedstock for bioenergy, and these removals have the potential to incrementally increase machine traffic and organic matter removals from forest sites, compared to harvesting operations focused solely on roundwood for timber or pulp. To the extent that existing standards support SFM, they may be sufficient for ensuring that biomass harvesting is also sustainable. Regardless of the new challenges created by intensive harvesting practices, the principles of soil and biodiversity conservation remain the same. The current framework for BC’s SFM policy is reviewed to examine whether it addresses the major sustainability issues that are likely to arise in the province if intensive biomass harvesting becomes more prevalent. We conclude that intensification of biomass removals will require us to keep focused on stand and landscape sensitivity to coarse woody debris removals and biodiversity requirements, nutrient removals, and cumulative soil disturbance.

Projecting climate change impacts on stream flow regimes with tracer-aided runoff models - preliminary assessment of heterogeneity at the mesoscale

The northern mid-high latitudes form a region that is sensitive to climate change, and many areas already have seen – or are projected to see – marked changes in hydroclimatic drivers on catchment hydrological function. In this paper, we use tracer-aided conceptual runoff models to investigate such impacts in a mesoscale (749 km2) catchment in northern Scotland. The catchment encompasses both sub-arctic montane sub-catchments with high precipitation and significant snow influence and drier, warmer lowland sub-catchments. We used downscaled HadCM3 General Circulation Model outputs through the UKCP09 stochastic weather generator to project the future climate. This was based on synthetic precipitation and temperature time series generated from three climate change scenarios under low, medium and high greenhouse gas emissions. Within an uncertainty framework, we examined the impact of climate change at the monthly, seasonal and annual scales and projected impacts on flow regimes in upland and lowland sub-catchments using hydrological models with appropriate process conceptualization for each landscape unit. The results reveal landscape-specific sensitivity to climate change. In the uplands, higher temperatures result in diminishing snow influence which increases winter flows, with a concomitant decline in spring flows as melt reduces. In the lowlands, increases in air temperatures and re-distribution of precipitation towards autumn and winter lead to strongly reduced summer flows despite increasing annual precipitation. The integration at the catchment outlet moderates these seasonal extremes expected in the headwaters. This highlights the intimate connection between hydrological dynamics and catchment characteristics which reflect landscape evolution. It also indicates that spatial variability of changes in climatic forcing combined with differential landscape sensitivity in large heterogeneous catchments can lead to higher resilience of the integrated runoff response. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Thresholds and sensitivity of fragile Western Mediterranean landscapes during Holocene Rapid Climate Changes

Thresholds and sensitivity of fragile Western Mediterranean landscapes during Holocene Rapid Climate Changes

ECO-GEOGRAPHICAL APPROACH TO INVESTIGATION OF STABILITY OF CULTURAL LANDSCAPE

Today in Russia, much attention is given to research and practical identification of the cultural landscape (CL) stability parameters that define its dependency on the character of the territorial land use. As a rule, these are projects of territorial and landscape planning (LP) aimed at assessment of stability of the CL depending on the conditions of the social and natural environment, on the level of changes of its components, and on the direct relation with the nature and the type of natural resources management. This approach defines most fully conditions and the level of impact on the landscape. The paper discusses the main types of natural resource management of the CL. Residential areas are the most complex and multifunctional types of natural resource management. They are of the greatest interest to the research as an object of “co-creation of man and nature” [Sochava, 1978]. This is determined by an important role of residential areas with their infrastructure as a landscape reshaping element that influences the functioning and structure of the CL. Cities, suburbs and towns, as human environment, require a special attention in order to achieve an environmentally friendly and sustainable landscape. In the concept of LP, much attention is given to assessment of the natural components of the CL. As a rule, assessment of soil, climate (atmosphere), water, and landscape sensitivity and significance is conducted [Drozdov, 2006]. The selection of assessment criteria varies depending on the natural resource management type. Obtained results are compared with parameters that are indicative for or specific to naturally occurring landscape. The crisis of environmental components makes LP the vitally necessary management instrument. The goals of landscape planning are broadly formulated—landscape planning should cover the entire territory of the country, should consider both natural and socio-economic factors, and should develop measures to prevent and control impacts on the landscape.

Assessing visual impacts of forest operations on a landscape in the Serre Regional Park of southern Italy

Forest operations impose changes on biological, ecological, hydrological, social, and esthetic attributes of forested landscapes. Methodologies are needed to evaluate the visual impact of forest operations on landscapes as part of the planning process. We assessed the visual impact of forest operations on views from a major travel corridor within a protected area by analyzing three landscape characteristics: visibility, forest landscape quality, and visual sensitivity at distances ranging from 0 m to 5 km. A geographic information system was used to perform: (a) visibility analysis, (b) forest landscape quality analysis, (c) visual fragility analysis, and (d) landscape sensitivity analysis. The output was a landscape sensitivity map, a powerful planning tool that displays the most sensitive areas and the most sensitive forest type, in this study, specifically holm oak forest (Quercus ilex L.) managed under the coppice silvicultural system. Our results suggest some guidelines for reducing the visual impact of forest operations and demonstrate the efficacy of this methodology for designing the visual quality of forested landscapes.

Using predictive models as a spatially explicit support tool for managing cultural landscapes

Due to the high sensitivity of mountain landscapes to environmental changes, the study of land cover dynamics has become an essential tool for guiding management policies. Since the second half of the twentieth century, the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain) have been substantially altered by the loss of traditional management practices and, more recently, by the new environmental schemes developed by the Regional Government. This area is a biodiversity hotspot, representing the south-western-most distribution limit for a large number of species in Europe. Therefore, small changes in landscape patterns can result in biodiversity losses. In this study, we analyzed land cover changes in the Cantabrian Mountains from 1991 to 2004 by means of remote sensing techniques, identifying the main driving forces and classifying the territory according to its risk of land cover change. Forest expansion and loss of shrublands were the two major trajectories of change apparent during this period. When modeling the occurrence of these land cover changes, we found that performance of models was related to the nature of the change. The most accurate models were associated with processes of secondary succession, i.e. forest expansion (78.6%), while the least accurate models related to changes linked with management decisions, i.e. loss of shrubs (61.8%). The main drivers of change were variations in the number of goats (for the forest expansion model) and changes in the number of head of sheep and cattle (for the loss of shrubs model). Topographic conditions (altitude and slope) were relevant in both models. Our approach proposes an explicit decision support tool for landscape managers, allowing better identification of the areas where they should focus their attention.

Assessment of a Bayesian Belief Network–GIS framework as a practical tool to support marine planning

For the UK continental shelf we developed a Bayesian Belief Network–GIS framework to visualise relationships between cumulative human pressures, sensitive marine landscapes and landscape vulnerability, to assess the consequences of potential marine planning objectives, and to map uncertainty-related changes in management measures. Results revealed that the spatial assessment of footprints and intensities of human activities had more influence on landscape vulnerabilities than the type of landscape sensitivity measure used. We addressed questions regarding consequences of potential planning targets, and necessary management measures with spatially-explicit assessment of their consequences. We conclude that the BN–GIS framework is a practical tool allowing for the visualisation of relationships, the spatial assessment of uncertainty related to spatial management scenarios, the engagement of different stakeholder views, and enables a quick update of new spatial data and relationships. Ultimately, such BN–GIS based tools can support the decision-making process used in adaptive marine management.

Late Quaternary landscape evolution in a small catchment on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Late Quaternary landscape evolution was analysed with reference to a small (0.08 km 2) drainage basin system in southeastern Gansu Province, southwestern Chinese Loess Plateau. In this region, V-shaped valleys with broad valley floors are prominent landscape features whose basic shape already existed prior to MIS 2. During MIS 2 the valley bottoms were infilled with fluvially reworked loess, today forming accumulation terraces. Infrared optically stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating of these loess-like deposits assigned them to the time span ranging from 22.5 to 17.7 ka BP. During the late Holocene, valley fills were partly eroded, and the receiving stream channel was deepened by at least 25 m close to the confluence of the study site's channels. These alternating erosion and accumulation phases were triggered by climatic factors or human impact. In the most recent past, the high landscape sensitivity of the Chinese Loess Plateau has led to increasing soil conservation measures that have effectively confined surface erosion. However, the lack of drainage on the artificial terraces induces piping processes.

Application of fuzzy models for the monitoring of ecologically sensitive ecosystems in a dynamic semi‐arid landscape from satellite imagery

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to better understand landscape dynamics in arid and semi‐arid environments. Land degradation has recently become an important issue for land management in western China. The oasis ecosystem is especially sensitive to environmental disturbances, such as abnormal/extreme precipitation events, variations in the water supply from the upper watersheds, fluctuations in temperature, etc. Satellite remote sensing of terrestrial ecosystems can provide us with the temporal dynamics and spatial distributions of green cover over large areas of landscape. Seasonal green cover data are especially important in assessing landscape health (e.g. desertification, rate of urban sprawl, natural disturbances) in arid and semi‐arid regions. In this study, green cover data are derived from vegetation indices retrieved from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors onboard the satellite Terra.Design/methodology/approachSatellite images recorded during the period from April 2000 to December 2005 are analyzed and the spatial distribution and temporal changes of the Ejin Oasis quantified.FindingsThis study shows that it is possible to derive important parameters linked to landscape sensitivity from MODIS and the derived imagery, such as normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time‐series data. Such a MODIS‐based time‐series monitoring system is particularly useful in arid and semi‐arid environments. The results of landscape sensitivity analysis prove the effectiveness of the method in assessing landscape sensitivity from the years 2001‐2005.Practical implicationsThe novel strategy used in this investigation is based on the T‐S fuzzy model, which is in turn based on fuzzy theory and fuzzy operations.Originality/valueSimulation results based on fuzzy models will help to improve the monitoring techniques used to evaluate land degradation and to estimate the newest tendency in landscape green cover dynamics in the Ejin Oasis.

Importance of land use versus atmospheric information verified from cloud simulations from a frontier region in Costa Rica

Land‐use/land‐cover (LULC) change has been recognized as a key component in global climate change, and numerous climate modeling studies at regional to global scales document this. The research strategies have invariably been to first conduct baseline simulations of current conditions to evaluate model performance. Then simulation of regional climate with land cover changes (LCC) implemented within the model allows differences with the baseline simulation to be used as evidence of global to regional‐scale climate impacts of LCC. However, even state‐of‐the‐art regional climate models require two data sets to conduct reasonable baseline simulations. These are representative current land cover and atmospheric information over the study region. In frontier and developing areas (where most of the rapid land‐use conversion is taking place), these data sets are frequently unavailable and the errors in simulations are due to either inaccurate land cover, insufficient atmospheric information, nonrepresentative model physics, or a combination of one or more of the above. This study shows that in one frontier region, that surrounding the Cordillera de Tilarán of Costa Rica, the accuracy of simulating clouds decreases by 1% to 3% if default model land cover information is used. If the atmospheric data sets used are the ones usually available to researchers (with land cover information held constant), then the model accuracy is reduced by 21% to 25%. Model runs without updated land cover or atmospheric information reduce model accuracy slightly further. Precipitation comparisons also provide similar results. This study thus shows that the critically important data set for conducting accurate simulations is not land cover information but atmospheric information. Researchers may similarly get significant increase in the accuracy of their baseline simulations elsewhere by using radiosondes/rawinsondes over their study region. Finally, since atmospheric information is not available for different landscape scenarios, assessments of the relative role of LULC change will have to continue to rely on using the standard atmospheric data set and the acceptance that the use of more detailed atmospheric data to initialize and provide lateral boundary conditions would have reduced the uncertainties in such landscape sensitivity studies.

Changes, perturbations, and responses in geomorphic systems

In recent decades views of change, disturbance, response, and recovery in geomorphology have expanded considerably. Conceptual frameworks emphasizing single-path, single-outcome trajectories of change have been supplemented — not replaced — by multi-path, multi-outcome perspectives. Geomorphology has also seen a transition from the idea of normative standards such as characteristic, (steady-state) equilibrium, zonal, and mature forms to the recognition that some systems may have multiple potential characteristic or equilibrium forms — and that some may have no particular normative state at all. These trends are not presented as a replacement of outmoded ideas, but rather as a broadening of approaches. The single-path single-outcome frameworks can generally be viewed as special cases of the broader pluralistic analytical structures. In this context, two perspectives — an adaptation of White's hazards matrix, and the landscape sensitivity concept — are suggested which lend themselves to studies of recent and contemporary changes in earth surface systems. These perspectives can be synthesized into a framework for the assessment of geomorphic changes and responses based on the `four Rs': response (reaction and relaxation times), resistance (relative to the drivers of change), resilience (recovery ability, based on dynamical stability), and recursion (positive and/or negative feedbacks).

Stratigraphy of near-valley head quaternary deposits and evidence of climate-driven slope-channel processes in southern Brazilian highlands

Abstract During the past 40 years colluvial and alluvial deposits have been used in Brazil as good indicators of regional landscape sensitivity to Quaternary environmental changes. In spite of the low resolution of most of the continental sedimentary record, geomorphology and sedimentology may favor palaeoenvironmental interpretation when supported by independent proxy data. This paper presents results obtained from pedostratigraphic sequences, in near-valley head sites of southern Brazilian highlands, based on geomorphologic, sedimentologic, micromorphologic, isotopic and palynologic data. Results point to environmental changes, with ages that coincide with Marine Isotopic Stages (MIS) 5b; 3; 2 and 1. During the late Pleistocene, although under temperatures and precipitation lower than today, the local record points to relatively wet local environments, where shallow soil-water saturated zones contributed to erosion and sedimentation during periods of climatic change, as during the transition between MIS 2 and MIS 1. Late Pleistocene events with ages that coincide with the Northern Hemisphere Younger Dryas are also depicted. During the mid Holocene, slope-wash deposits suggest a climate drier than today, probably under the influence of seasonally contrasted precipitation regimes. The predominance of overland flow-related sedimentary deposits suggests an excess of precipitation over evaporation that influenced local palaeohydrology. This environmental condition seems to be recurrent and explains how slope morphology had influenced pedogenesis and sedimentation in the study area. Due to relative sensitiveness, resilience and short source-to-sink sedimentary pathways, near-valley head sites deserve further attention in Quaternary studies in the humid tropics.

Late Quaternary eolian sand depositional record for southwestern Kansas: Landscape sensitivity to droughts

Eolian deposits and landforms are ubiquitous in western Kansas, particularly south of the Arkansas River with the presence of a stabilized dune field. Stratigraphic studies and associated optical dating reveal a complex depositional history for this dune field spanning the late Quaternary. The oldest eolian deposits from ca. 16 to 12 ka completely or partially bury high terraces with ages of ca. 16 and 33 ka. It is unknown whether these eolian deposits reflect regional aridity and/or a change in sediment availability with the transition of the Arkansas River from a single channel to a braided system. There is pervasive evidence for episodic eolian erosion and deposition ca. 9.8 to 6.3 ka, generally coincident with loess deposition on upland surfaces [Olson, C.G., Nettleton, W.D., Porter, D.A., Brasher, B.R., 1997. Middle Holocene aeolian activity on the High Plains of west-central Kansas. Holocene, 7(3): 255–261], and thus it is inferred to reflect regional aridity. Sites within the dune field show a sequence of eolian sands and weak buried soils, reflecting either dune migration or sand sheet accretion at ca. 1490, 430, 380–320, 180, and 70 yr ago, which correspond well with continental-scale droughts in the tree-ring record. Eolian sand in the Arkansas River dune field may be derived principally with variability in fluvial activity and in climate during the late Pleistocene to the middle Holocene, with substantial reactivation of eolian systems during decadal-scale drought variability in the past 2000 yr.

Connectivity as a crucial determinant of badland morphology and evolution

The way in which threshold behaviour, landscape sensitivity and connectivity 1 1 In this paper, Harvey's (2001) term ‘coupling’ is reserved for references to the seasonal behaviour of process domain interactions at the relatively small scale, and the term ‘connectivity’ applied to the physically integrated status of a system ( Thomas, 2001) at the meso- and macro-scale. operate together at the meso- and macro-scale in badlands is initially considered from a theoretical energy-utilisation perspective. The argument is developed that intrinsic changes to process domain dominance can result in progressive shifts in process connectivity without the need to invoke external climatic or tectonic change. From this premise, a meso-scale closed system model for the evolution of connected states in regionally isolated badlands is developed, applicable to systems evolving towards a fixed base level within a less erosive ‘host’ landscape. The model shows how badlands disconnected from regional drainage can develop from a wide range of initial states into a convergent quasi-equilibrium, followed by a period of complex response as energy is dissipated across thresholds, giving rise to a range of equifinal maximum entropy landscapes. This classification is illustrated using a range of global badland examples. Longer-term macro-scale interruptions to this semi-deterministic model of badland relief degradation are also considered. From this longer-term/larger-scale perspective, it is argued that extrinsic changes to relative relief can be driven by base-level changes (tectonically, isostatically or eustatically induced), in which case the continuity and linkages of ‘information’ within the system are modified by effects which move up through the system (‘bottom-up’ control). Macro-scale climatic changes also alter connectivity by changing the power distribution of prevailing events, and by causing long-term changes in mean precipitation, temperature and E/ P ratio which affect vegetation, and therefore runoff resistance all across the landscape. From this perspective longer-term climatic change operates in a ‘top-down’ manner. The interplay between these two larger-scale controls will inevitably determine the pattern of connected states that the landscape experiences through time. The ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ combinations that can lead to either rejuvenation (and a return to the stages described for the closed system model) or stabilisation (enhanced phases of both morphological and geochemical stabilisation) are discussed.

Facteurs de continuité et de disjonction spatio-temporelle des évolutions aux échelles moyennes en Haute-Loire et Haut-Allier (Massif central, France) (Continuous and discontinuous evolution factors in the upper Loire and Allier catchments - Massif central, France)

The analysis of upper Loire and Allier catchments Neogene evolution gives arguments for understanding the status of inherited features with regard to landscape sensitivity question and hits control factors.

A 2400 yr record of natural events and anthropogenic impacts in intercorrelated terrestrial and marine sediment cores: Waipaoa sedimentary system, New Zealand

The Waipaoa sedimentary system spans ∼100 km from terrestrial upland to continental rise. Alluvial buffering has little effect on sediment flux at the outlet of this mesoscale dispersal system, and hinterland-to-margin transport is accomplished rapidly. Because of this synergy, the floodplain and shelf depocenters are sensitive to changes in sediment production in the hinterland, and natural and anthropogenically forced changes in sediment source dynamics that occur at several temporal and spatial scales leave distinctive signals in the stratigraphic record. Manifested as variations in sediment properties, these signals appear in intercorrelated sediment cores from a headwater riparian storage area and the major terrestrial and marine repositories for sediment discharged during the past 2.4 k.y. The signals represent the landscape response to vegetation and land-use change, short-term fluctuations in climate that affect surface properties and processes, and extreme storms and subduction-thrust earthquakes. Extreme storms are the minimum geomorphologically effective event preserved in the sediment records. Lower-magnitude storms that are integral components of the prevailing hydrometeorological regime create high-frequency fluctuations in sediment properties and collectively contribute to event sequences of >100 yr duration. Events and event sequences comprise a hierarchy of temporally sensitive phenomena, the impacts of which are conditioned by frequency and magnitude. By contrast, vegetation disturbance is a spatially sensitive phenomenon that directly impacts sediment source areas and lowers the threshold of landscape sensitivity to erosion. For this reason, the Taupo eruption of 1.718 ka and the piecemeal vegetation changes that occurred after the arrival of Polynesian settlers also generated strong depositional signals. After European colonization, deforestation of the hinterland altered landscape sensitivity and precipitated the transition to an erosional regime that impacted sediment production and dispersal across the entire magnitude-frequency spectrum of events, regulating sediment delivery to and transport in stream channels. No other perturbation had such a profound impact on the Late Holocene depositional record.